


Mad World

by anonymousduchess



Series: Mad World [1]
Category: Original Work, The Man in the High Castle (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, idk - Freeform, maybe? - Freeform, so here is my original story with original characters based in the man in the high castle verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:01:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9142057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousduchess/pseuds/anonymousduchess
Summary: Is living like this truly freedom?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should probably be finishing my other series, but I've been re-watching "The Man in the High Castle" and I have so many ideas for original characters who live out in the Alaskan woods and survive on their own, unbeknownst to the German and Japanese governments. 
> 
> This is really just an idea I've had before and the idea of the U.S. being ruled by nazis seemed to fit well and make it work. I hope you all enjoy this series! I don't think there will be any spoilers for the TV show since the main plot and main characters are hardly ever mentioned, but I will put up warnings if I think any spoilers will show up! In this chapter, only Julianna Crain, Joe Blake, and John Smith will be mentioned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The men arrive at their destination.

The image in front of him was extremely blurred, but Calvin couldn't tell if that was from the snow or his exhaustion. Maybe it was both. It felt like he was being pulled back to the earth with rubber bands every time he stepped forward, and the trees all looked the same.

"Are you sure we aren't going in circles?" He asked over the wind.

"I don't know anymore!" Jacob shouted.

They were going to die out here. So much for being free. Then again, maybe it was for the best. At least he wouldn't have to be afraid of this world anymore. He may be scared of death, but he sure was getting sick of being terrified in this world.

The open sky above them soon disappeared as a rooftop of trees appeared. Suddenly they were in the forest, but the trees were doing very little to shelter them from the wind and snow. They wandered around for what felt like hours, but despite the burning ache in his legs and the ever-tightening band around his chest, Calvin pressed on. Every once in awhile Calvin saw what looked like two glowing purple orbs in different areas between the trees. He soon was overcome with the feeling of being watched, and he shivered against the cold and pulled his coat closer around himself. He also burrowed his head further into his scarf. He wasn't superstitious, and he knew that the Nazis and Kempeitai couldn't possibly have followed him here, but he couldn't shake the feeling. On top of everything else happening right now, Calvin was dangerously disoriented.

Suddenly a distant whinnying could be heard a distance away. He turned to his companion. "Jacob, do people hallucinate before they die?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I just heard a horse."

Jacob paused, and the sound seemed closer now. "Well, I must be dying, too, because I just heard neighing."

They looked ahead of them but snapped to the side when they heard rustling to their right. Within a matter of seconds the noise was on their left. It was galloping hooves on top of dead brush and thick snow. Calvin's heart threatened to pound out of his chest as he desperately searched for a way to run. But there was nowhere they could be safe, and there was no desperate hope that made him believe he could outrun the horse. Could he even run?

"Calvin, run!" Jacob's panicked shout caused Calvin to look behind him, and he saw black hooves disappearing and reappearing on the snow. Thinking he wouldn't have had the energy or willpower to care anymore, Calvin was surprised when he felt a new wave of adrenaline surge through him. He took off running and ignored the way his body screamed at him to stop.

But his heart began to sink as he heard the thundering hooves get closer. They were right behind him now, and the last thing he wanted to do was be run over by a horse. He veered to the right but lost his footing and tumbled away. Now that he was beginning to accept his fate, his breath tried to catch up with him as he panted desperately. "Jacob!" His voice was hoarse and he doubted it could be heard, but he tried again anyway. "Jacob!"

Light footsteps sounded on the snow and he was knocked out before he could look over his shoulder.

~

He woke up with his eyes still closed and he squeezed them tighter when he felt the ache in his head. His first instinct was to pretend he was still unconscious, but as he remembered what had happened, he grew more restless. The sense of peace that comes after first waking up was now being replaced with a quickening panic. But before he made his consciousness aware, he strained his ears to listen for any sounds that could give him an understanding of where he was. He heard a crackling fire only inches away from him and he became aware that he was sitting in a rather comfortable chair. If it wasn't for the headache, Calvin might have thought he was dead. Finally he gathered the willpower to open his eyes. What he saw in front of him was not what he'd been expecting to see. A young woman bundled in furs was sitting in a chair opposite him and sharpening a knife with a small whetstone. He looked around for any thugs or soldiers, but the cabin looked very homey. Small, but cozy. "You're awake." Calvin blinked. She couldn't possibly have known that without looking at him. "I saw your movement in the corner of my eye," she explained. Her tone wasn't monotone, but it was definitely unenthused. Calvin remained silent as he studied the stranger. The only light was coming from the fireplace and one lamp on the

But before he made his consciousness aware, he strained his ears to listen for any sounds that could give him an understanding of where he was. He heard a crackling fire only inches away from him and he became aware that he was sitting in a rather comfortable chair. If it wasn't for his headache, Calvin might have thought he was dead. Finally, he gathered the willpower to open his eyes. What he saw in front of him was not what he'd been expecting to see.

A young woman bundled in furs was sitting in a chair opposite him and sharpening a knife with a small whetstone. He looked around for any thugs or soldiers, but the cabin looked very homey. Small, but cozy.

"You're awake."

Calvin blinked. She couldn't possibly have known that without looking at him.

"I saw your movement in the corner of my eye," she explained. Her tone wasn't monotone, but it was definitely unenthused.

Calvin remained silent as he studied the stranger. The only light was coming from the fireplace and one lamp on the end table next to the girl, so he couldn't get a good read on her appearance. Her hair appeared to be a dark golden brown with some flecks of auburn. Most of it was hidden beneath the furs covering her, but the loose strands were rather long. Calvin looked at the whetstone the girl was holding and watched the movement of her hands. She had fair skin, but it wasn't an unhealthy pale. Calvin became aware of his own pasty-white skin and he flexed his fingers subconsciously.

"Not much of a talker, are you?"

Calvin blinked again. For the first time in a long time, he didn't really want to know where he was. He wanted to remain in this illusion of safety for as long as he could. If he tried hard enough, he could almost pretend that he was on vacation in a cabin.

"Hungry?"

"Uh..."

"Well, we weren't expecting guests, so you're going to have to deal with a small meal." The girl got up and went through the open doorway to the kitchen around the corner.

"We?" Calvin licked his lips nervously.

"I'm not crazy," the girl called. She returned with a small bowl of what looked to be beef stew. "It's deer meat. Hope you aren't squeamish."

"I've never tried deer meat," Calvin replied, staring at the stew and making no move to taste it.

"Maybe I should've let you see for yourself. But I can't risk you wasting food by spitting it out if you don't like it."

"My mother raised me better than that."

The girl smirked and returned to her spot on the couch. "As I was saying before, I'm not crazy. Someone else lives here, too."

"Is that who brought me to you? Or did you find me in the woods?"

"You were brought here." That was all the girl said. She watched him closely with a poker face.

Remembering his manners (and how hungry he was) Calvin took a bite of the stew. He let the taste settle on his tongue before making a decision. He nodded slightly. "It's good. Different, but good. Thank you."

Some time passed in silence and Calvin tried to ignore the awkwardness that he felt.

"Sorry about your head," the girl finally said. "The person who brought you here... She sometimes forgets that a man in the woods in the middle of nowhere can't really fight back. At least not for long."

Calvin took in that information as he went to take another spoonful of the stew. When his spoon hit the bowl with a "clink" he glanced down. No meat was to be found.

"Like I said, we weren't expecting guests, and we're low on food as it is. That should be just enough to keep you going, though, especially if you just stay by the fire and don't exert yourself too much. Probably good that you're not a talker."

Calvin couldn't believe that the thought hadn't occurred to him before. "Where's Jacob? Where's my friend?"

"He's over there." The girl chucked her chin in the direction behind Calvin before returning to her task.

The sound of stone against metal resounded as Calvin looked at his friend on the window seat. He was still unconscious -or asleep, he hoped- but he didn't look injured. "Has he been awake at all?"

"No. But don't worry, I've been checking on him."

The next few minutes were spent in tense silence. It was obvious that the girl didn't trust him, and he couldn't really blame her. But what could he say to let her know that he wasn't a spy? "We're looking for a house," he ventured at last.

The girl looked up at him and paused her sharpening. "I'm guessing it's not this one."

"I... I don't know, actually. It's a long story."

"I have nothing but time."

Calvin paused and wondered where to begin without giving too much away. He decided on giving the girl the short version. "An isolated house. We didn't get any information on who was living there or if it was even inhabited, but we were given a letter to give to anyone we found there."

"There was no information in the letter?"

"We weren't supposed to read it."

"And you didn't?"

Calvin kept his gaze steady. "No."

"Apparently you're a man of your word." But suspicion laced the girl's tone.

"Only time will tell you the truth." Calvin knew that it was almost impossible to trust anyone these days, so he took pride in the fact that he was a man of his word. His eyes never left the girl's as they stared each other down.

Finally, the girl shifted so she was completely facing him. "Do you have the letter?"

"What if this isn't the house I'm looking for?"

"I doubt you'll find another house out here for miles. But your point is fair enough. Isn't there anything you can tell me that will help us figure out if this is the correct house?"

Calvin ran a hand across his face and sighed, staring at the fire as he searched his memories for anything significant.

He blinked. "There was a man..." A friend of Jacob's, but something told Calvin that he shouldn't give out that information yet.

"He said that the safest place to be right now is... Alamute?" Wondering if he was saying it correctly, Calvin returned the girl's gaze with an unsure expression.

The girl visibly stiffened but she quickly regained composure. "Let me see the letter."

"I don't..."

The girl stood and was in front of Calvin within seconds, holding her palm out and making an impatient beckoning motion. She glowered at him from beneath her eyebrows, the shadows from the fire causing a mask to fall over her eyes. "That is a code word that few people know. Let me see the letter."

Reluctantly, Calvin pulled the letter out of his breast pocket and handed it to the girl. She turned her back to him and walked away, pacing slightly as she silently read the letter. Her eyes moved furiously across the page and it wasn't very long at all before she looked back at Calvin. Her gaze was...timorous, to say the least. Her teeth worried at her bottom lip and she winced slightly as she looked away, obviously deep in thought. Were those tears in her eyes?

"This is the house." Her voice was quiet and strained. "Looks like this is your new home." She forced herself to look at Calvin, and although he couldn't name the emotion on her face, it was obvious that she did  _not_ want to share her home with him. Calvin couldn't blame her, really, and he was still processing the information, too. Deciding that it wouldn't be fair to keep his reason for traveling a secret any longer, he ventured to explain. "Please don't tell anyone this–" The girl scoffed bitterly. "Who else is there to tell?"

"I know, I just mean... If there is ever an opportunity for you to tell someone, I'd prefer it if you didn't."

The girl gave him a look that seemed to read, 'You're really going to start giving me demands in my own house?' But Calvin pressed on. Hopefully the girl would understand soon. Calvin exhaled sharply and felt his confidence rising. "I suffer from anxiety and paranoia."

The girl scoffed again, but it wasn't bitter this time. It was more sad and understanding. "Who wouldn't be paranoid in this time?"

"But my paranoia is making it so I can hardly function. I have pills, but they aren't working anymore. Even if they were working, my doctor was beginning to get suspicious... Like he thought I didn't actually need them. Jacob is my best friend, so he knew something was going on with me. When I told him, he said that he had a friend who could help. I'd had no idea that his friend would suggest this. If you don't want us to stay–" He had to stop himself from choking. "I understand. But honestly, I am tired. I am so tired. Mentally, I mean. Physically, I'm strong and can pull my weight around here. Anything you need."

"Can you gut a deer?"

Calvin's stomach turned. "I can learn."

A slightly amused smirk formed on the girl's lips as she studied Calvin. Despite the small size of the girl, Calvin found that he was feeling quite intimidated. He swallowed nervously.

"Maybe you won't need to learn how to gut a deer. Or fish." She sighed and shook her head. "Honestly? I am not happy that I have to suddenly share my home with two strangers, but my friend -the one in this letter- he seems to trust you, and my father owed him a favor. So I really have no choice but to let you both stay. I'm glad that you're willing to earn your keep and eventually make this house your own, but be prepared for a lot of work once you're feeling up to it. This is Alaska, so the only real break we get is during the winter, and that can be a trying time."

Calvin was about to reply but a pitiful cough from another room stopped him. He glanced in the direction of a slightly open door. The girl whipped around and marched into the room, closing the door quickly. Calvin blinked again and then sat back in his chair. He glanced back at Jacob. Still asleep.

What had they gotten themselves into?

 


End file.
